03.24.09
8 p.m. CDT Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STATUS REPORT: STS-119-19
STS-119 MCC STATUS REPORT #19
The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space
Station took a break today in and around transfer work ahead of
Wednesday’s farewell and undocking of the shuttle. The ten
spacefarers also talked with President Barack Obama joined by school
children at the White House and later with reporters covering their
mission.
The stage is set for Discovery to undock from the station at 2:53 p.m.
Wednesday after the crew bids farewell to its temporary home and the
Expedition 18 crew, leaving behind Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata
and bringing home Sandy Magnus after four months aboard the station.
Early in the day, the crews gathered for a long distance phone call
from President Obama flanked by school children and congressional
members to quiz the ten crew members on their mission and life in
space.
Later, the crew turned its attention to transfer checklists as the
time nears to say goodbye leaving the station larger and more
powerful than it was before Discovery arrived.
The formal farewell and hatch closing is scheduled just before noon
Wednesday followed by leak checks ahead of departure.
The staggered sleep shift shows the station crew heading to bed about
8:45 p.m. and Discovery’s crew 30 minutes later at about 9:15 p.m.
Wake up comes at 5:13 a.m. Wednesday to start the final hours of the
joint mission.
The next status report will be issued after crew wake up, or earlier
if events warrant.
-end-